WA bargain hunters out in droves at the end of 2025 but new Bankwest data reaffirms Black Friday’s supremacy

West Australians splashed cash on bargains at the end of 2025, but new spending data has reaffirmed Boxing Day’s dominance as Australia’s premier discounting event has fallen to US import Black Friday. Bankwest’s latest analysis of WA customer credit and debit card activity revealed spending during Black Friday week was 28 per cent higher compared with Boxing Day week. Electrical appliance, airline, discount and department stores were among the shopping categories where consumers spent more during Black Friday than Boxing Day. The Bankwest data, to be released on Tuesday, also highlighted Black Friday’s growing popularity, with total spend during the sales event 6 per cent higher in 2025 than the previous year. Over the years, Black Friday, which follows the US Thanksgiving holiday, has grown beyond the traditional four days between the last Friday of November to Cyber Monday to become a month-long event. Economists have warned the growth of Black Friday and Cyber Monday was distorting economic data and clouding the Reserve Bank of Australia’s judgement on consumer spending. The Australian Bureau of Statistics last week revealed consumer spending was 6.3 per cent higher in November than the year before, beating the 5.7 per cent forecast. In WA, household spending was up close to 9 per cent year-on-year. The latest spending numbers pose another threat for households hoping for mortgage relief from the Reserve Bank of Australia when it next meets on February 2-3. The RBA has recently highlighted concerns about lingering inflation pressures at a time when the job market remains tight. Bankwest’s data revealed there were fewer Gen Zs transacting in December, with unique customers down 4.5 per cent compared with the prior year. But those transacting were spending at a higher volume. December recorded a near-10 per cent increase in customers transacting and a 22.7 per cent lift in total spend compared with December. Sporting and toy shops, as well as department stores, posted the biggest gains in customers. Bankwest head of everyday products Allan Emery said Black Friday sales potentially became a launchpad for Christmas shopping, with many West Aussies likely taking advantage of the deals to purchase gifts.